Cybersecurity is critically important in the healthcare industry. We’ve all seen the headlines about vulnerabilities disclosed, information leaked, and facilities disabled because of malware. Unfortunately, many organizations have unrealistic expectations of their security teams. These result in missed deadlines, friction with product teams, and an operational model that cannot scale and is ultimately doomed to failure. By understanding the correct functioning of a security group, organizations can reduce overall risk smoothly and effectively.

Amidst this flurry of high-profile attacks comes National Cyber Security Awareness Month; a poignant reminder that, for hospitals and healthcare providers, cyberattack prevention and business continuity is truly a matter of life and death. Over the course of the pandemic, we have seen ransomware and phishing attacks against healthcare institutions — viewed by cybercriminals as vulnerable and profitable targets — dramatically skyrocket. But where, in an ever-evolving threat landscape, should healthcare organizations focus their attention?

In recent months, I’ve had many different conversations with our customers about how the COVID pandemic has impacted their security operations—from global companies with hundreds of thousands of employees to much smaller organizations with control rooms responsible for local operations and campuses. The overwhelming feedback is that everyone has needed, in one way or another, to change their processes, and expect to continue having to do so for the foreseeable future.